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Valve announces Counter-Strike 2 (C2), which will launch as a free upgrade to CS:GO in summer 2023, and a limited test begins today - gameplay mechanics smoke grenade world sub-tick video trailer

Best Graphics Settings for FPS in CS2

It wouldn’t be Counter-Strike without trying to get the highest FPS possible for that slight edge over the competition. It’s no different in Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), especially with the even more competitive Premier mode being introduced! It’s possible to gain a ton of FPS just by tweaking your settings in the game correctly. Lets go over what graphics settings you should change to get the highest FPS possible in CS2.

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Best Graphics Settings for FPS in CS2

The first consideration is the Resolution settings. Make sure you set the Display mode to Fullscreen. This will give you more FPS in CS2 and much better overall performance. Sure you won’t be able to tab out as easily, but it’s certainly worth it. Make sure you then check you have the correct resolution, aspect ratio and refresh rate for your monitor set.

CS2 Resolution Settings

For the Graphics settings there are quite a few settings you can tweak to improve performance or visuals. Change the following for the best FPS while still retaining visual clarity:

  • Leave Boost Player Contrast enabled. This settings does take some resources, but it makes enemies significantly easier to see. Disabling it puts you at a disadvantage.
  • Disable Vertical Sync.
  • Set Multisampling Anti-Aliasing Mode to 4X MSAA. You can drop it lower if you need to, but I wouldn’t recommend going too low. Otherwise you’ll see jagged edges everywhere and you’ll lose visual clarity.
  • Global Shadow Quality should be High. Shadows are important in this game, keeping them at High is a good balance between FPS and visuals.
  • Model / Texture Detail can be at High or down one stage.
  • Texture Filtering Mode should be Antistropic 8X if possible. You can lower it if you need to, but wouldn’t recommend going lower than 4X.
  • Set Shader Detail, Particle Detail and Ambient Occlusion to High.
  • If you have a HDR monitor, set High Dynamic Range to Performance.
  • FidelityFX Super Resolution should be set to Quality. You could also try Balanced but going lower than this doesn’t result in noticeable FPS gains but makes the game look horrible.
  • NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency is a contentious  point in the community. Some say it works well, others don’t think so. I personally find it to improve my latency and use it. Perhaps give it a try and see if it works for you.

Related: How to Bind Jump to Scroll Wheel in CS2

CS2 Graphics settings

Those are the graphics settings to run in CS2 to get the best FPS value without making your game look terrible. These settings will give you a really nice balance between being able to still see enemies, shadows and objects clearly but with the highest FPS possible!

If you’re looking for more, check out how to get the hidden achievement in CS2.


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Alex Berry
Contributing Writer
Alex Berry has been a freelance contributor at The Escapist since January 2023. His coverage ranges from funny takes on the latest games to a whole bunch of guide content on such titles as Honkai: Star Rail, Genshin Impact, and various new games. Alex is a jack of all trades when it comes to games, playing almost every new title that shows promise. From RPGs to shooters, all the way through to sports games, he plays it all, although he does have a soft spot for turn-based RPGs having started out his gaming journey with a copy of Pokémon Red on the original Game Boy. Alex has a master's degree in Business and is fascinated by online game economies, often spending a lot of time finding ways to maximize wealth in these games (but he should really be doing that in real life instead).